On the night of August 19, 2022, a dispute outside a Des Moines bar tragically cut short the life of Tyrell Lavell Grimes, a 38-year-old Black man. The events unfolded in the 2400 block of University Avenue, outside Rico's at Drake bar and grill, a popular spot in the Drake University neighborhood. An argument erupted between Grimes and another man, 44-year-old Andrew Jerome Harris.
Following the initial confrontation, Harris departed from the scene in his vehicle.
The conflict, however, was far from over. Driven by what a judge would later describe as a feeling of being disrespected, Harris made a fateful decision. About eight minutes after leaving, he returned to the area, this time armed with a firearm. He once again confronted Grimes, and the encounter escalated to deadly violence. Harris shot Grimes twice, inflicting fatal injuries. Emergency services were called to the scene, and Grimes was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Andrew Harris initially denied his involvement, telling police that he was not present at the scene. However, the investigation, aided by video evidence and witness testimony, quickly pointed to him as the sole suspect. Harris was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of Tyrell Grimes. His defense would later argue that he acted in self-defense, claiming that he believed Grimes posed a threat to him.
The legal process that followed was complex. In November 2023, a Polk County jury found Andrew Harris guilty of first-degree murder, a conviction that carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison in Iowa. However, the case took a turn when a judge ordered a new trial, citing that certain statements Harris claimed Grimes made to him, which could have provided more context to his self-defense claim, were improperly excluded as hearsay in the first trial. In the second trial, which concluded in August 2024, a jury convicted Harris of the lesser charge of second-degree murder, as well as going armed with intent and possessing a firearm as a felon. Ultimately, in December 2024, a judge sentenced Andrew Harris to 60 years in prison. He will be required to serve a minimum of 35 years before becoming eligible for parole. During the sentencing, the judge emphasized that Harris's decision to leave, retrieve a gun, and return to kill Grimes were separate acts that justified the lengthy, consecutive sentences.
